Everything You Need To Know About Micro 4/3 Lenses

Mirrorless cameras are wonderful tools, and I’m going to be writing regularly about their attributes. Quick intro to Micro Four Thirds, a.k.a. MFT, M43, Micro 4/3. The key characteristics are that they have interchangeable lenses, they are almost always smaller than DSLR’s, they generally cost less than DSLR’s for similar features, and they have a sensor that is smaller than DSLR’s. The sensor is shaped in a 4×3 ratio, not a 2×3 ratio like DSLR’s, which makes a picture that is less wide.

One thing that makes Micro 4/3 cameras significantly different than other interchangeable lens cameras is that the lens mount and other accessories are standard and work across brands. That means any MFT lens made by any manufacturer will fit any camera of any brand. That’s really cool. That’s like being able to use your Nikon lenses on Canon cameras. It opens up a huge number of lens options. Most of these lenses are much cheaper than their DSLR equivalents, too, and I think part of that is because the market is so much more open.

Here’s the Everything-You-Need-To-Know Part

Because Micro 4/3 is standardized, there’s a website that has all the options from all the manufacturers, www.four-thirds.org. They’ve just published a new catalog including practically all the lenses available, and it’s educational and exhaustive. It includes adds and introductions from all the manufacturers, too. These include Lumix, Olympus, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Black Magic, Xiaoyi, Voigtländer, Kodak, and others including cameras designed for flying on drones. Here’s a link to the catalog, but I’ve recompiled it as jpeg files right here, too (click on the pictures below to view).

I’m an ambassador for Lumix (Panasonic’s camera brand), so that’s the brand of camera body I use most, but I’ve shot with many others and many lenses. They’re good enough that I sold all my DSLR’s and have been making my full-time living using them for nearly four years. I’m telling you this because I know many folks are nervous to leave their DSLR’s, and lenses are one of the biggest concerns. Well, take a look at this catalog, and I’ll keep sharing resources to help you become informed about mirrorless camera systems so you’ll know if they’re the right tools for you.

Levi Sim is passionate about making photographs and helping others make their pictures better, too. He's a full-time photographer making business portraits and marketing and branding pictures for a living. He spends the rest of his time practicing all other kinds of photography. Read more of his articles here. And you can see more of Levi's portfolio here.

Levi is honored to be an ambassador for Lumix cameras, Vanguard tripods and bags and Spider Holster carry systems.

Illuminati Instruments – Maker of the Illuminati meter that measures flash & ambient, color temperature and chromaticity in a compact case that links to a smartphone.

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Skylum – Your photos, more beautiful in minutes. Makers of Luminar, Aurora and Photolemur, Skylum adapts to your style and skill level. Check out the new Luminar 3, now available.

Perfectly Clear Complete – Built for precision. Made for beauty. Perfectly Clear has mastered the science of intelligent image correction - creating superior quality photos in record time, so you can get back to doing what you really love...in no time. Special Photofocus deal here.

Adobe Creative Cloud – Creative Cloud gives you the world's best apps and services for video, design, photography and the web, whether you're a beginner or a pro! Plans start at $9.99/mo. at adobe.com.

Viewbug – Learn and improve your photography with over 500 videos. Trusted by millions around the world, join over 2 million photographers who already use Viewbug.

HDR Learning Center – Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images. Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDRsoft.

ThinkTAP – New online education for photographers by working professionals. Be one of the first 50 people to buy our new time-lapse training for only $99 (that’s 60% off); use the code TL50.

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